Poop-powered motorcycle that can travel 300km

This is interesting.

In Japan, a well known toilet maker proved that poop can be the ideal source of Renewable Energy. A few days ago toilet maker, Toto, unveiled what could be the first motorcycle that can travel up to 300 kilometres on a tank filled with animal shit (pardon the choice of word).

The following picture shows a female rider showing you around the eco-friendly motorcycle called Toilet Bike Neo. It uses bio-gas from discharges of livestocks or waste water and was on show for a green campaign in Omiya, suburban Tokyo on August 29, 2012. Demo unit belongs to Toto and photographed by Yoshikazu Tsuno/AFP. Kindly note that Bio-gas in this test unit is not from the rider's waste. LOL.

Must they include the toilet bowl in the motorcycle design? That's a turn off!
Image credit: Timeslive

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For your reading pleasure, I have appended the article carried by Timeslive as follow (link as provided in the picture):-

300 km on a tank full of poop
Timeslive, 29 August, 2012 10:15

Japan's best-known toilet maker on Wednesday unveiled a "poop-powered" motorcycle that can travel as far as 300 kilometres on a tank filled with animal waste. Billed as the world's first waste-powered vehicle, the three-wheeler has a toilet in place of a regular seat and huge paper roll at the back.

But as a young female model climbed aboard for a test drive Wednesday, toilet giant TOTO was quick to point out that she would not supply the "gas".

"The biogas it uses as fuel is not made from human waste. It's made from livestock waste and sewage," Kenji Fujita, a company spokesman, told reporters in a Tokyo suburb.

"We hope to raise awareness among customers about our green campaign through development of environmentally-friendly products such as water-saving showerheads and water-saving toilets," Fujita added.

The company – which makes toilets equipped with an array of features including heated seats, water jets with pressure and temperature controls, and ambient background music – has no plans to commercialise the motorcycle.


Okay, so, this is one way to recycle things you don't need anymore and do your bit to save the planet.

By the way, there's nothing wrong using human waste to fuel that motorcycle.

Lynas to move into INDUSTRIAL SCALE

After going through prolonged debate and protest on the setting up of Rare Earth processing plant in Pahang, Malaysia, Lynas says it is now ready to move into industrial scale. Meaning going full throttle in its capability. Not necessarily a bad thing although many have their reservation.

Lynas will produce 64,000 tonnes of Iron PhosphoGypsum per year under Phase 1 and Phase 2 of Lynas Advance Materials Plant (LAMP) production. This means more than 5,000 tonnes of co-product on a monthly basis. Quite a big amount of gypsum to carefully handle everyday, if you ask me.

But just before you read further, let's look at the applications of Rare Earth in our daily life, as I've mentioned earlier in my previous articles:-


RE applications which have became critical and play important roles in the way we live our life.
Credit: REITA



Lynas ready to move into industrial scale
Bernama, Aug 30, 2012

Lynas Corp Ltd is ready to move into industrial scale to test the co-product called Iron PhosphoGypsum, said its executive chairman Nicholas Curtis. He said Lynas will produce 64,000 tonnes of Iron PhosphoGypsum per year under Phase One and Phase Two of Lynas Advance Materials Plant (LAMP) production.

"The most likely application for Iron Phosphogypsum co-product is as road base aggregate. There are also applications for co-products in land rehabilitation and agriculture.

"Specific steps are already in place. We have commissioned a batch pilot plant, on site at the LAMP, to begin further refining the specific commercial applications together with customers in preparation for export," he told reporters in a conference call from Sydney, Australia today.

Lynas has completed the construction of Phase 1 in Pahang last Tuesday. Curtis said all of the specific directions Lynas has undertaken to commercialise these co-products are environmental-friendly.

"However, we hear the community's concern and understand the anxiety, and will undertake to seek export markets for these materials instead...We believe that marketing of these synthetic gypsum products will reduce deliver tangible sustainability goals for Lynas," he said.

Curtis also said that Lynas is voluntarily taking to extinguish this community concern by converting the plant residue material into valuable co-products and exporting these co-products from Malaysia.

He said Lynas is able to do so because the co-products are safe and useful to various industries - particularly the building and agricultural sector and similar to materials produced by the mineral and oil industries that operate today.

"We have made significant progress in our research and development work on the commercial applications of co-products.

"We believe Malaysia has rigorous standards around safety and the community can be assured their concerns are being adequately addressed and safety standards are properly enforced," he said.

On Lynas' determination to achieve its 'zero harm' goal, Curtis said it is a necessary condition of any operation that upholds safety as the number one concern and it is not just only to the employees but to the operations within the community. – Bernama

Happy Merdeka Malaysia

Happy Merdeka to all Malaysians where ever you may be!

Hari Merdeka (Independence Day) is a national day of Malaysia commemorating the independence of the Federation of Malaya from British colonial rule in 1957, celebrated on August 31 each year. But Malaysia was formed on 16 September 1963, when it is joined by Sabah and Sarawak. (wikipedia)


The Hibiscus

Malaysia National Flower is the hibiscus rosa sinensis or locally known as the Bunga Raya. I have captured some of the commonly found hibiscus in Malaysia:

Hibiscus of different kinds

Pink hibiscus found abundance at Ujana Rimba Tropika

The Bunga Raya - hibiscus rosa sinensis is on the right.

"Rakyat Didahulukan" - You First

The figure '1' here is the symbol for 1Malaysia that is used (you can find this almost everywhere) in many campaigns and advertorials by the government to showcase the 'oneness' in the society. In this case, Sabah Credit Corporation says "You First" to its customers and clients.


Malaysia Merdeka Themes

The 2012 Merdeka theme - "55 Years of Independence: Promises Fulfilled" - has proven to be controversial, as it is seen by many Malaysians to be a political slogan rather than a patriotic one. Controversial or not, here are the themes for the last 20 years:

Merdeka themes: 1992 - 2012

Let's pray that Malaysia shall continue to be peaceful and progressive. That our leaders are given the wisdom to govern the country always in a fair manner.